The best festive fragrances

For guys who take their cologne seriously, the festive season is just an excuse to add to the bottles on your dresser.

Prada Amber Pour Homme Intense (Rs 4600 / 100 ml): At a time when packaging seems to overshadow the real juice in the bottle sometimes, this scent stands out for its high quality ingredients. A follow-up to Prada’s successful 2006 scent Amber Pour Homme, the intense notes in this fragrance include vanilla and amber with a whiff of Italian bergamot; perfect if you think men’s fragrances ought to smell like men’s fragrances. You will love the dark bottle with a classic industrial-style pump and all the attention that this long-lasting scent might generate.

Jaipur Homme by Boucheron (Price on request): Crafted by master perfumer Annick Mernado whose other bestsellers include Bulgari Black and the more recent Kokorico by Jean Paul Gaultier, Jaipur is a special occasion scent that works equally well for any time of day or night. A tribute to Louis Boucheron’s visit to Jaipur in the Twenties, the bottle takes design cues from the brand’s legendary watches. If you are a hopeless romantic, you will get enough help from the fragrance’s explosive notes like cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg to spice things up.

Paco Rabanne Black XS L’Excess for Him (Rs 3850 / 100 ml): The bottle is a showstopper: matte black with a tiny skull that clings on to the bottle like a body piercing. Just the kind of bottle you might spot inside a heavy metal band’s caravan. If you like to leave a fragrance trail this season, this heady yet sweet scent can help. A limited-edition version of Paco Rabanne’s Black XS, this perfume brings together lemon, lavender and woody amber. Perfect for all the Diwali parties and equally versatile for a Friday at the office.

Eau Superbe by Rance 1795 (Rs 6500 / 100 ml): Francois Rance’s perfume house dates back to 1795 and some of the fragrances still have their roots in the Napoleonic era. Launched last year and crafted by Jeanne Sandra Rance a scion of the Rance family, Eau Superbe is a classic woody aromatic fragrance with an interesting medley of notes that include grapefruit, mint, cardamom, rose, pepper and leather. The traditional packaging might not have changed much but this refined scent is perfect for the modern gentleman who knows how to make an impression without screaming for attention this festive season.

Kenneth Cole Black (Rs 3950 / 100 ml): If you are a fan of this brand’s watches, there’s a good chance you will dig the minimalist black bottle. Don’t be fooled by the dark bottle or the ‘Black’ tag, this dark scent also has a vibrant vibe that shines through its top notes like fresh ginger and zesty mandarin. Crafted by a duo of perfumers - Harry Fremont and Sabine de Tscharner, Black is an easy-to-wear scent that is perfect for the season and has an exotic bouquet of notes from suede and lotus flower to incense smoke that you might be trying to spot well after the fireworks go off.